1. First, clarify what Microsoft Fabric Apps are
Microsoft Fabric Apps is Microsoft’s preview platform for developers building data-driven applications on Fabric. Microsoft describes a TypeScript-based workflow with generated APIs, authentication, hosting, and connectors to Fabric data. The deployed application runs as a Fabric-managed service, with its own app URL and permissions.
This is different from Fabric Org Apps, which package supported items from a workspace for consumers. The two names sound similar, and Org Apps can include a Fabric App item, but they are distinct experiences. This guide is about centralizing links to developer-built Microsoft Fabric Apps. See our LumioBI vs Fabric Org Apps comparison for the other feature.
3. How LumioBI organizes Fabric App links
LumioBI lets administrators create folders and add links in the portal menu. A Fabric App’s user-facing URL can be added as a destination, named for the task employees recognize, and placed beside related reports or other apps.
- Put applications from different workspaces into one curated menu.
- Arrange links under department, process, or role-based folders.
- Use clear labels so viewers can find a task without knowing its workspace or project name.
- Keep an app’s existing Fabric URL and permission boundary intact.
- Update menu labels and organization separately from the Fabric App’s code and deployment.
What happens when someone clicks?
The browser follows the configured link to the Fabric-hosted app. Microsoft Entra sign-in and Fabric app permissions decide whether that person can open and use it. The menu helps people reach the destination; it doesn’t grant access.
4. Set up a central Fabric Apps menu
- Collect each published app’s user-facing URL. Use the app URL intended for consumers, not a developer preview URL, API endpoint, or workspace edit link.
- Check the destination in a viewer’s account. Confirm the person has the Fabric permissions and license required by the app, and that the app opens successfully from its shared URL.
- Create a folder structure in LumioBI. Use business labels such as “Operations,” “Finance,” or “Customer tools.” Keep folders task-oriented and avoid mirroring internal workspace names unless viewers know them.
- Add a menu link for each app. In the LumioBI admin console, add a link item, paste the app’s HTTPS URL, choose a short viewer-facing label, and place it in the right folder.
- Limit menu visibility where appropriate. Configure LumioBI’s audience or group visibility to present relevant navigation to different teams. This only controls whether the link appears; Fabric still enforces access to the application.
- Ask representative users to try the menu. Confirm each link opens the intended app, sign-in works, and users without Fabric permission cannot access the app.
For a broader directory that also includes reports and dashboards, see our Power BI report catalog guide.
5. What the centralized menu does and doesn’t do
| Responsibility | Handled by |
|---|---|
| Build and run the application | Microsoft Fabric Apps |
| Host the application and its services | Microsoft Fabric |
| Authenticate users and enforce app permissions | Microsoft Entra ID and Fabric |
| Provide folders and a curated menu across workspaces | LumioBI portal |
| Open the linked app URL | The user’s browser |
| Render LumioBI’s persistent sidebar | LumioBI extension on app.powerbi.com |
LumioBI’s current extension adds the persistent sidebar on app.powerbi.com. Microsoft Fabric Apps can have their own hosted URL, so the menu link launches the app; it doesn’t insert LumioBI’s sidebar into that custom app surface. The app’s interface and development remain the app owner’s responsibility.
Microsoft currently labels Fabric Apps as a preview feature. Its documentation lists Fabric capacity and tenant-admin enablement as prerequisites, and describes supported regional availability. Review Microsoft’s latest requirements before planning a rollout.
6. Common questions
Can I put Fabric Apps from multiple workspaces into one LumioBI menu?
Yes. Add the user-facing URL for each app as a separate link and organize the links in LumioBI folders. Each app remains hosted and governed in its own Fabric workspace.
Does adding an app link give the viewer access?
No. It only makes the destination easier to find. Fabric permissions and the app’s authentication determine access after the link is opened.
Does LumioBI embed the Fabric App inside Power BI?
No. LumioBI’s sidebar is injected into app.powerbi.com. A link to a Fabric App opens the app at its Fabric URL, where the app’s own interface is shown.
What if the URL changes when we deploy a new app version?
Confirm the published consumer URL with the app owner after deployment and update the LumioBI link if it changed. Keep a named owner for each menu destination so links stay current.
One directory for your Fabric environment
Make every Fabric App easier to find.
Use LumioBI to give teams one curated menu for their apps, reports, and analytics links, while Microsoft Fabric remains responsible for application hosting and access.
This guide is written by LumioBI, the navigation product described here. Microsoft Fabric Apps is a preview product and its availability and requirements can change. Microsoft’s documentation is the source for current product behavior.